Desk stapler



March 20, 1956 w. J. \/IAIL 2,738,505

DESK STAPLER Original Filed July 8, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l 64 fm/emors:

W. J. VAIL DESK STAPLER March 20, 1956 Original Filed July 8, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 In uemors:

Patented Mar. 20, 1956 ice DESK STAPLER Walter J. Vail, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Vail Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Illinois Original application July 8, 1950, Serial No. 172,764, now Patent No. 2,651,034, dated September 8, 1953. Divided and this application July 6, 1953, Serial No. 366,268

8 Claims. (Cl. 1-3) This invention relates to a desk type stapling machine for feeding and driving staples, and specifically to the type of stapler which utilizes a magazine cover hinged at its rear end to permit loading of the magazine from the top.

This application is a division of the copending application Serial No. 172,764, filed July 8, 1950, issued September 8, 1953 as Patent No. 2,651,034, in which Walter J. Vail, Richard B. Vail, Leroy Demeroth, Leo J. Dugin, and Curt E. Nyberg are named as inventors. The applicant named in the present application is the sole inventor of the staple pusher and its manner of operation as herein described.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a stapler in which, when the staple pusher is manually retracted, the magazine cover will automatically open to expose the staple magazine, and simultaneously automatic means will then engage the staple pusher to hold it in its retracted position while the staple magazine is being replenished, and thereafter when the cover is closed the staple pusher will automatically be restored to its operative position and cause the cover to become locked against opening. Accordingly my invention is mainly concerned with the staple pusher and the magazine opening, closing and locking means.

Another object is to provide a means to visibly indicate the amount of staples remaining in the magazine at all times.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein a suggestive embodiment of this invention is shown. However, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed, but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Figure l is a perspective view of the present stapler;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof, showing the cover in its closed position;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view showing the cover in a partly open position and the staple pusher fully retracted;

Figure 4 is a vertical section, taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a detail in section, taken on line 5--5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the staple rail and staple arm;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the staple pusher per se; and

Figure 8 is a detail in section, taken on line 8-8 of Figure 3. Y

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings, the stapler here shown comprises a base A with an anvil 11 mounted thereon near its forward end and a pair of upstanding parallel supports 12 near its rear end. A staple carrying arm B is pivotally carried between the supports 12 by means of a pin 14. This arm isi-n the form of an upwardly facing channel having a bottom 15,sides 16, and a front end wall 17 which extends above the sides. Adjacent the front wall 17 is a passageway 18 extending through the bottom 15 through which staples are driven downwardly into the work. A lug 20 is struck upwardly from the arm bottom 15 adjacent the passageway 18 (Fig. 6).

Carried by the arm B between its sides 16 is a staple supporting rail C (Fig. 6) in the form of an inverted channel having a top 22 and depending side walls 24. A slot 25 extends for the greater length of the top 22 and a lug 27 depends therefrom adjacent the forward end of the slot. The rail walls 24 are parallel with and spaced away from the arm sides 16 except in their rear portion where they are swelled out at 28 (Fig. 6) so as to abut the rear portion of the sides 16. A pair of bosses 30 extending inwardly from the arm sides 16 just above the rail top 22 serve to confine the rear end portion of the rail against upward movement (see Fig. 2). Each rail wall 24 has a depending foot 32 which is seated in a slot 33 of corresponding size and shape in the arm bottom 15 near the forward end thereof so as to lock the staple rail C against horizontal movement relative to the supporting arm B. When so interfitted, the lugs 20 and 27 will be positioned one adjacent to the other (see Fig. 3).

A pusher rod 35 extends lengthwise between the walls 24 of the staple rail. The rearward end of the rod is formed into an eye 36 which encircles the pivot pin 14 while the forward end of the rod passes through openings in the lugs 27 and 20 and terminates just short of the staple passageway 18 (Fig. 3) thus efiectiveiy supporting itself in place and simultaneously locking the outer end portions of the staple arm B and rail C to each other.

Slidingly mounted on the rail C is a staple pusher D in the form of an inverted U having a top 38, sides 39 depending therefrom, and outwardly extended fingergrips 40. A U-shaped, or horseshoe-shaped bracket 42 sprung into an opening in the top, as shown in Fig. 7, encircles the rod 35 (Fig. 4) and projects its ends 43 above the pusher top 38. A second opening 45 is provided in the pusher top near its rear end. At the front end of the pusher D is a boss 47 having its front side angled forwardly and downwardly (see Fig. 3). The pusher is arranged to ride upon the staple rail C with its sides 39 positioned between the rail Walls 24 and the staple arm sides 16, and with the fingergrips 40 extending outwardly beyond the arm sides 16 as shown in Fig. 4. A spring 48 on the rod 35 serves to urge the staple pusher forwardly.

A channel-shaped cover E, having sides 50, a front wall 51, and a top 52 which slopes downwardly toward the rear, is pivotally carried between the ears 12 by the pin 14. A staple driver 54 in the form of a blade is positioned adjacent the inner side of the front wall 51 and in vertical alignment with the passageway 18. This driver is detachably affixed to the front wall 56 of a foursided tubular post F which is arranged for guided vertical movement within the cover E. A hand knob G in the form of a circular cap 57 having a skirt 58 is cut away at 59 directly over the cover top 52 so as to allow it to straddle the top when the knob is depressed during the staple driving operation. The driver 54 is secured to the front wall 56 of the post by a rearwardly struck tine 66 which engages the edge of an opening 61 provided for that purpose in the post wall so as to press the driver endwise against the under side of the knob cap 57 and thus maintain a constant pressure between the tine 60 and the cap 57 (Fig. 2). The post F is guided in its vertical movements by a pair of vertical flanges 63 extending toward each other from the cover sides (Fig. 5) which engage the post rear wall 64 and in conjunction with the cover sides 50 and the cover front wall 51 provide therefor a guideway wherein the post may move only vertically. A transverse pin 65 which extends between the cover sides passes through vertical slots 67 in the post side walls 69, thus limiting vertical movements of the post to the length of said slots 67.

Extending between the sides of the cover E and secured thereto is a longitudinal plate 70 having an opening 72 adjacent its forward extremity through which the rear end of a leaf spring 74 is inserted, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The front end of this spring engages a transverse pin 75 extending between the post sides so that, when the staple driver 54 is forced downwardly in response to pressure on the knob G, the spring 74 exerts an upward pressure which causes the driver to be raised following each downward stroke. Near its rearward end the plate 76 is bent downwardly at right angles to form 21 depending bracket '77 having an opening through which the rearward end of a longitudinally disposed lock bolt 80 is slidingly extended. The forward end portion of this lock bolt is slidingly embraced by a bearing 81 which is secured to the cover sides 50 (Fig. 5) and the forward end of the bolt passes through a vertical slot 83 in the staple driver 54 to seat within a keeper 84 in the form of an opening (Fig. 6) that is provided in the front wall 17 of the staple arm B, thereby to provide a latching means to lock the cover E and staple arm B together as a single unit. A latch spring 8S encircles the lock bolt 8-4 between the depending bracket 77 and a depending lug $7 on the rod just forward of the bracket 77, to constantly urge the bolt forwardly. A dual spring 9% encircling the pivot pin 14 has a lifter arm portion 90a which exerts upward pressure against the cover E, and a detent arm portion 91 which straddles the pusher rod 35 and extends forwardly between the staple rail walls 24 so that an upturned finger 91a at its forward end is in the rear of the slot 25. As seen in Fig. 2, the detent spring 91 is normally depressed by the end of the bracket 77.

When the cover E is in its closed locked-down position, the lower edge of the cover front wall 51 meets the upper edge of the staple arm front wall 17, and the side walls 56 of the cover fall just short of meeting the sides 16 of the staple arm, leaving therebetween a longitudinal slot 93 through which the finger-grips 40 of the staple pusher extend outwardly, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

To replenish the staple supply, it is merely necessary to move the staple pusher rearwardly by the fingergrips 46, which may readily be grasped by the fingers of one hand, to the point where the bracket ends 43 of the top of the pusher engage the lug 37 depending from the lock bolt 80, thereby forcing the bolt to slide rearwardly and unseat its front end from the keeper $4 in the staple arm front wall 17. The cover will then automatically swing upwardly in response to pressure from the spring 90, and simultaneously the finger 91 of the spring 90 will rise and protrude through the slot 25 in the top of the staple rail and into the opening 45 in the staple pusher whereby to act as a latch to hold the pusher in its retracted position, as shown in Fig. 3. The staple rail is now completely unobstructed and fully exposed, and the staple pusher is held in its fully retracted position by the latch finger 91 as shown in Fig. 3. All that now remains to be done is to place a new supply of staples on the staple rail and then close the cover. When the cover is pressed downwardly, the bottom of the bracket 77 which depends from the rear of the plate 70 passes through the opening 95 provided for that purpose in the staple rail top 22, and engages the spring 9t forcing it downwardly and causing the latch finger 91 to disengage the staple pusher. The staple pusher upon being released then pushes against the staples in response to pressure from its spring 48, and the lock bolt 8h simultaneously slides forwardly in response to pressure from its spring 85, and seats itself endwisc within the keeper 84 in the staple arm front wall, thus locking the cover down in its normal closed position.

As the staples are consumed, the staple pusher D will automatically advance toward the front end of the stapler and the position of the fingergrips will indicate at all times the amount of staples still unused. When the staple supply is entirely exhausted, the staple pusher will then abut the staple arm front wall 17 in which position it will project into the downward path of the staple driver. If, at this time, the driver is accidentally driven down, it will glancingly engage the inclined forward side of the boss 47 on the staple pusher and force the pusher rearwardly enough to permit the driver to pass on by. By this device any possibility of harm or jamming is eliminated.

I claim:

1. In a stapling machine, a staple carrying arm, a staple carrying rail attached to the interior of said arm, a cover for said arm being releasably locked thereto, a pin pivotally connecting the rear of said arm to the rear of said cover, a staple pusher rod attached at one end of the pin and journalled at the other end to a lug on the forward portion of the rail, a helical spring surrounding said rod, and a staple pusher slidably secured to said rod, said spring urging said pusher forward, said pusher comprising an inverted U-shaped bracket, the sides of said bracket inserted between said arm and said rail, 2. finger extending from each side of said bracket between the top of the arm and the bottom of the cover, the arrangement being such that, as the staple pusher moves forward with the dispensing of staples, the fingers indicate the position of the staple pusher.

2. In a stapling machine having staple carrying means, releasable cover means on said staple carrying means, and a staple pusher rod extending longitudinally within the staple carrying means, a staple pusher comprising: an inverted U-shaped member spanning the pusher rod which has aperture means in its upper surface; and a generally horseshoe-shaped bracket slidably engaging the pusher rod, said bracket having legs which extend through said aperture means and engage the margins thereof.

3. The device of claim 2 in which the staple pusher has laterally extending fingers provided with upright finger pieces for manual retraction of the pusher which indicate the position of the pusher.

4. In a stapling machine having staple carrying means, pivoted cover means on said staple carrying means, and a movable latch bar extending longitudinally of the carrying means carried by said cover means to latch the free end of the cover means to the staple carrying means, said latch bar having a lug adjacent its rear end, a staple pusher comprising: an inverted U-shaped pusher body slidably mounted in the staple carrying means; a projecting ear on the body to contact the lug on the latch bar as the staple pusher is retracted; and finger means on the staple pusher for manually retracting the pusher from outside the carrying means to unlatch the cover means.

5. In a stapling machine having staple carrying means, pivoted cover means on said staple carrying means, a staple pusher rod supported in and extending longitudinally of the staple carrying means, and a longitudinally slidable latch bar carried by said cover means above the pusher rod to latch the free end of the cover means to the staple carrying means, said latch bar having lugs adjacent its rear end, a staple pusher comprising: an inverted U-shaped pusher body in the staple carrying means spanning the pusher rod, said pusher body having aperture means in its upper surface; a generally horeshoeshaped bracket slidably engaging the pusher rod, said bracket having legs the upper ends of which extend through and engage the margins of the aperture means in the pusher body and provide ears to contact the lugs on the latch bar; and finger means on the staple pusher and projecting outside the carrying means for manually retracting the pusher to unlatch the cover means.

6. In a stapling machine: staple carrying means; releasable cover-means pivotally attached adjacent one end of said carrying means, there being a narrow, laterally open longitudinal slot along each side of the machine betyveen the carrying means and said cover means; latch means movably carried by the cover means for releasably securing the free end of the cover means to the carrying means; and an inverted U-shaped staple pusher slidably mounted in the carrying means, said pusher having laterally extending thin, flat indicator fingers projecting through said longitudinal slots, said fingers having upright finger pieces outside the staple carrying means for manual retraction of the pusher which indicate the position of the pusher.

7. The device of claim 6 in which a staple pusher rod extends longitudinally within the staple carrying means, and the pusher has a bracket surrounding the rod.

8. The device of claim 7 in which the pusher has a 15 6 body provided with a slot, and the bracket is a single generally horseshoe-shaped piece of sheet metal which has legs extending through said slot and engaging the margins thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 288,191 Young Nov. 6, 1883 10 2,245,506 Skrebba June 10, 1941 2,279,584 Vogel Apr. 14, 1942 2,420,330 Maynard May 20, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS 722,402 Germany July 9, 1942 

